Daily Archives: December 1, 2012

In regulatory and research ethics circles, it is fairly common to hear people say they prefer the term “research participant” to “research subject” because they feel it’s more respectful. They think the word “subject” is demeaning. I respectfully disagree. I think it’s honest.

Of course, some research subjects are willing and active participants, but many are not. The truth is that many people are studied without their consent or even knowledge. In compliance with federal regulations, and under the watchful eye of ethics committees called Institutional Review Boards (IRBs), millions of medical records, biological specimens, and other sources of data (like court records, purchasing patterns, and web searching cookies) are mined by researchers every day. You and I don’t participate in those studies. They are done to us. To the extent these studies are done with integrity, I don’t object. But let’s not pretend we are participants. Continue reading →

Evolutionary accounts of the origins of human morality may lead us to doubt the truth of our moral judgments. Sidgwick tried to vindicate ethics from this kind of external attack. However, he ended The Methods in despair over another problem—an apparent conflict between rational egoism and universal benevolence, which he called the “dualism of practical reason.” Drawing on Sidgwick, we show that one way of defending objectivity in ethics against Sharon Street’s recent evolutionary critique also puts us in a position to support a bold claim: the dualism of practical reason can be resolved in favor of impartiality.

On Monday, PEA Soup will begin a discussion on this article, led by Roger Crisp. I hope to see you there! -YK

From policy adoption at the federal level to debate over the health concerns of political figures, this week’s round-up focuses largely on the news for bioethics and health law in the realm of politics.

Dan Vorhaus(@genomicslawyer) posted a feature on the history of gene patent litigation and implications for next-generation sequencing technologies. (11/26) He also included a link summarizing key information on H.R.6118, newly passed in the House and Senate and now being presented to the President. Otherwise known as the Taking Essential Steps for Testing (TEST) Act 2012, the bill gives the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) “greater flexibility in enforcing CLIA [Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments] proficiency testing violations” (as noted by Vorhaus). (11/26)

Daniel Goldberg(@prof_goldberg) included a post on the inequality in self-rated health as considered by gender. The study, done in Spain, found that females’ lower sense of self-rated health is a reflection of the higher burden of disease in women, and encouraged systems of health to reconsider the approach towards afflictions with lesser impact on mortality that are possibly receiving less attention than is deserved. (11/26)

Daniel Goldberg(@prof_goldberg) additionally included a report on the problems parents with disabilities are facing in terms of retaining (or even gaining) their right to be a parent. Such bias against parents, the article notes, may not recognize that ensuring essential support may be all that is needed to discourage problems or eradicate risks for the majority of cases. (11/26)

Frank Pasquale(@FrankPasquale) linked to a blog post on the recent protests by AIDS activists in the office of House Speaker John Boehner. The protesters, stripped naked in order to reveal the painted “AIDS Cuts Kill” written on their chests, were there to protest the possible cuts to HIV/AIDS program funding that may follow a fiscal cliff deal. (11/28)

Arthur Caplan(@ArthurCaplan) featured his talk with Boston Public Radio on the fine line politicians must walk when balancing their struggle with a health crisis along with the responsibilities of being a public official. The recent health concerns facing Boston’s Mayor Thomas Menino served as inspiration for this discussion. (11/28)

Frank Pasquale(@FrankPasquale) added a news article detailing the recent speech made by principal deputy national coordinator David Muntz of HHS’ Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology. Muntz, in addition to discussing the need to better incorporate technology for fostering stronger communication between patient and doctor, mentioned some striking statistics: “only 15% of patients have renewed a prescription online,” while “just 10% have a personal health record.” (11/29)

Arthur Caplan (@ArthurCaplan) posted a link to a new feature on concierge medicine, where appointments can be paid for solely through cash and not through insurance. While previously considered an option only for the rich, concierge medicine has possible implications for the greater body of patients: as the article noted, it may become a more viable option especially as threats of regulation and backlash in a doctor shortage encourage traditionally high-priced firms to backtrack. (11/29)

Arthur Caplan(@ArthurCaplan) also shared a video by Canadian comedian Rick Mercer on getting flu shots. (12/1)

Note: As mentioned in previous posts, retweeting should not be considered as an endorsement of or agreement with the content of the original tweet.

In the ongoing medical and legal battle over the deadly meningitis outbreak, the victims have been trying to freeze nearly $500 million in assets. US District Judge Dennis Saylor ruled this past Tuesday for an expedited hearing to determine this issue. As of late, the New England Compounding Center and Ameridose have been shut down, pending further investigations into the meningitis contamination.

A key part of the Obama administration’s plan for health care reform hinges on the shift of Medicare information to electronic records, which will hopefully improve patient care and communications while lowering costs. However, critics have raised concerns that this would leave confidential records more vulnerable to abuse and fraud.

The American Academy of Pediatrics now recommends that pediatricians treating teenaged girls should consider writing just-in-case prescriptions for the morning-after pill, and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists now recommends making all birth control pills available over the counter.